Windows XP File Structure question

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Mike, tell us what reader do you have exactly?

[Peter Wright]

Rather than reading straight from the camera, I first copy the BPAV folder to a hard drive then work from there.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Peter Wright

Rather than reading straight from the camera, I first copy the BPAV folder to a hard drive then work from there.

I understand the Mike has problems with the copying process being slow - hence my question about his detialed setup. I used to connect the camera via USB until the mini USB port got broken; now I'm using an ExpressCard reader with PCIe (NOT USB) connectivity. It's a breeze!

[Michael Gane]

Hi, when you say reader, I presume your talking about the software version, I think its 1.01.07 1567 and the Pci express usb card is a Garmin.

I read the reply with regard to copying to the HDD first but that also was going to take forever and would be quicker doing a streight capture in real time!

Really appreciate this guys.

Mike

[Piotr Wozniacki]

No Michael, when I say "reader" I mean the SxS card reader (hardware). I understand it's one of those PCIe to ExpressCard adapters (please give a link to it). I have one too (front loading), and while indeed capable of PCIe speeds, it is also compatible with USB-inrerfaced ExpressCards (not SxS). Since you say it is slow, I don't think it's actually using the PCIe connection - if it were, you would be able to copy a full 8 GB card in some 2-3 minutes (I'm getting this sort of speed with mine).

If it only uses USB2.0 connection, it should take 2-3 times that long; if (as I speculated earlier), due to some system problems, it reverts to the older USB1.1 protocol, it will take ages - in fact, close to real time - i.e. some 30 minutes.

This is roughly 10x slower than it should be capable of, and you would be right complaining!

[Michael Gane]

Hi Piotr,

Sorry for my naff explaining, I have bought a USB PCiexpress card i.e fits into the PC - not card reader, this then conects to the camera using USB lead.

I think your questions have maybe pointed out the problem, which card reader do you have because copying 8gig is prety quick, my USB just isnt fast enough!

Mike

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Mike,

I'm using this one:

http://www.synchrotech.com/products-...-drive_03.html

When it does see a card, it's fast as a blaze. BUT, you need to poewr up the PC with an SxS card in the drive; otherwise it won't recognize it. And, after you read a card, you must use Device Manager to uninstall the drive before inserting another one; then you must install the device again...

It's not that much of a problem, as I shut down my PC very seldom - put it to sleep instead.

[Michael Gane]

What a star you are, i've just had the card reader deivered and installed, it recognised the 79mins in 5 seconds, fantastic bit of kit.

Thanks so much for all your valued help.

Regards
Mike

[Piotr Wozniacki]

I'm glad I could help, Mike.

Another important note to all EX1 users: here is yet another scenario when copying the entire SxS structure onto you HDD before exporting to MXF can save your data integrity:

Suppose that while shooting - being so much focused on framing and camera settings - you accidently hit the "Slot Slect" button on your camera (can happen easily enough). Without you being aware, your clip has been split and is now spanning the two cards!

If you connect the card to your PC (any method), open the Clip Browser and Export to mxf BEFORE copying the structures of BOTH cards first - it will create mxf's (issuing some warnings perhaps). But you will never be able to seamlessly stitch your separate files back into the original, single take!

However, if you first COPY both cards (in any sequence) into the same, single HDD folder, the Clip Browser will concatenate the fragments for you; when you then export them to mxf's - you will get exactly the same number and duration of clips as those of the takes you had actually recorded.

[Peter Wright]

Piotr, that's good to read, and I've read it elsewhere, but haven't yet actually managed to do this yet.

Could you please be specific. Which files or folders from the SxS cards do you copy in to which folder on your HDD, bearing in mind that you can't have two folders called BPAV in the same folder ...

Thanks.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Peter, you just copy all the cards contents into the same, single HDD folder of your choice; the Clip Browser will take care of your filenames. I wrote about earlier in this thread:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost....0&postcount=12

[Peter Wright]

Thanks Piotr - I assume if I try and copy two folders called BPAV to the same directory, I'll get the message about "this folder already exists", but I should clcik "Yes" and let it copy the contained files, which hopefully will have different names to those from the other SxS card, into the same folder

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Peter Wright

Thanks Piotr - I assume if I try and copy two folders called BPAV to the same directory, I'll get the message about "this folder already exists", but I should clcik "Yes" and let it copy the contained files, which hopefully will have different names to those from the other SxS card, into the same folder

Using the Clip Browser copy function (NOT that of Windows Explorer), you won't even get this message - it knows what to do with your existing file structure, and how to add new subfolders being copied.

Disclaimer: you probably MIGHT overwrite something if you reset the clips counter/naming in the camera menu, though! If you did, simply use another HDD folder for the process.

[Michael Gane]

Hi PIotr,

I have just read your post with regard to copying the files to hard drive first, I have'nt tried this yet as I have been creating the files to import into CS3 directly from the Browser program.

Is the hardware card as fast when copying clips to HDD first?

Also I have checked everywhere and cannot find forum that mentions an error message I had from Clip Browser; "probelms converting partial take" is this a clip that was too short to convert?

Regards
Mike

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Michael,
When using my ExpressCard readers (either the one on my Vaio laptop, or the PCIe one in my desktop), it really is super-fast.

The message you mention may be due to exactly what I described a couple of messages above - when exporting a clip that is actually spanning two cards.

Copying all first, and only then exporting will take care of that.